“This crumbling and colorful city in the Yucatan is the soon-to-be hotspot for chic travelers in the know.”

With that line, the prestigious Fodor’s travel guide put Merida on its 2019 Go List.

Listed along with 51 other recommended travel destinations — from Bears Ear National Monument in Utah to Lagos, Nigeria — Merida explained with a list of what it’s not.

“It’s not a vast, sweeping city like Mexico City, it’s not cute like Todos Santos, it’s not beachy like Tulum, and it’s not in the mountains like Oaxaca — but Merida still deserves attention as one of the chicest cities in Mexico.”

“Everything here is stylish, from centuries-old plantations-turned-hotels to street parties to the mezcaleria that has live bands,” says Fodor’s.

They also set the record straight about Merida’s “rainy season.” Although it’s a winter escape, traveling from June to October means “you’ll experience fewer crowds and little actual rain.”

On Saturday, Fodor’s followed up with another glowing story (Mexico’s “chicest weekend getaway” is still “under the radar”) and a list of 10 day trips travelers can make with Merida as a base. The article reveals the archaeological, colonial and natural attractions, and some insider tips, 30 minutes or three hours away.

While in town, Fodor’s recommends “the best cappuccino in the city” at Lagalá’s tiny Te Extraño Extraño run by Mexico City chef Joaquín Cardoso. The city’s hip dive bars and speakeasies would be at home “if they were taken out of Merida and plopped in the center of major metropolises like New York City and Berlin.”